Why did pomegranate design the gate of a mansion in ancient times?

The Symbolic Significance of Pomegranate in China Folk Culture

1 is a symbol of reunion, unity, prosperity, prosperity, harmony, peace and happiness.

"On August 15th, due south, melons and pomegranates are full of vegetables" is a popular folk proverb. Mid-Autumn Festival, when pomegranate is ripe. Relatives and friends often give pomegranates to each other, "sending pomegranates to convey friendship"; At the full moon, worship the moon with moon cakes and pomegranates, and pray for the blessing of the moon god with the auspicious meaning of pomegranates; Family reunion, tasting round pomegranates and moon cakes to show family reunion, good luck and happiness. In local customs, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are two things at home, one is moon cakes, and the other is pomegranate. When people began to worship the moon with pomegranate and when people began to have the custom of eating pomegranate in Mid-Autumn Festival, there is no textual research in history, but it has a great relationship with pomegranate fruit, which symbolizes reunion, unity and harmony. Buddhist culture holds that: "Pomegranate with many fruits in one flower and thousands of fruits in one room is an auspicious fruit. Among all fruit offerings, pomegranate is the best. " Folks regard pomegranate as auspicious fruit, and the custom of offering pomegranate to the moon in Mid-Autumn Festival is also due to the spread of Buddhist culture.

Pomegranate flowers are red and gorgeous, pomegranate fruits are full and round, pomegranate seeds are crystal clear, and the fruits are in spring and autumn, which accords with the psychological desire of China People's Congress to celebrate the New Year, pray for a bumper harvest and have a safe family, thus giving pomegranate auspicious symbolic significance such as prosperity, prosperity, harmony and happiness.

Many children are blessed, a symbol of eternal happiness.

Pomegranate seeds are plump and full, symbolizing the full house of children and grandchildren and happiness. According to historical records, King Andrew Gao Yanzong of Northern Qi married Li Zushou's daughter as his concubine, Levin of Wen Xuandi visited Li Fei's family, and Li Fei's mother presented two pomegranates. Wen Xuandi didn't understand what this meant. At this time, Wei Shou, the teacher of the prince, said: "There are many children in the pomegranate room, and the king is newly married, and the concubine wants more children." The emperor was very happy to hear that. Since then, there has been a custom of wishing the couple many children with pomegranates in China. So far, some places still keep pomegranate or pomegranate flowerpots as engagement gifts. At the wedding, the bride hides a pomegranate in her clothes, and there will be a pair of pillows embroidered with big pomegranate as wedding gifts. Pomegranates with peeled and exposed seeds are placed in the new house, wishing them an early birth. Relatives and friends like to present shoes, hats, clothes and pillows embroidered with pomegranate patterns to express their congratulations.

People often use the pattern of "pomegranate seeds with branches and leaves, peeling off a corner of the skin and revealing countless fruits" to symbolize many children and grandchildren, which is called "pomegranate opens a hundred children" or "pomegranate opens its mouth and laughs" Other common traditional auspicious patterns with pomegranate as the theme are: three wishes for longevity, three wishes for huafeng, many sons and many blessings, the ancient philosophers wearing golden clothes, many sons being men, and three more nine ruru. Some of the designs in "Fushou Sanduo" combine bergamot, peach and pomegranate into one dish, some combine the three into one, and some use three kinds of fruits as tangled branches, which means many children, many blessings and many longevity. The pattern of "Golden Clothes and an Hundred Flowers" is painted with pomegranate and oriole, which means that high officials are dignitaries and the hundred flowers are around their knees. In the design of "suitable for men and many children", day lilies and pomegranates are put together, indicating that they are suitable for men and many children.

The associative idea of pomegranate having many children and grandchildren has been passed down from generation to generation through oral, behavioral, psychological and ancient book records, forming a folk culture that prays for prosperity, many children and many blessings. It is also integrated with the customs of "jujube chestnut" (bearing early fruit) and "inviting flowers" (inviting your son), which constitutes a unique fertility culture in China social folklore. Its root is mainly the deep-rooted feudal thought of "unfilial having three sons and no heirs", and it is also closely related to the ancient psychology of having many children and grandchildren, low living standards, high neonatal mortality and people praying for the health and safety of future generations. Now it seems that this custom has become a vulgar custom that hinders social and economic development, but it still has strong vitality among the people. The folk crafts and customs with pomegranate as the theme have become the cultural heritage with China characteristics.

A symbol of love, friendship and affection.

"Beautiful and beautiful trees will be treated well by anyone who looks at them" (the sentence describing pomegranate in Jiang Kui's Pomegranate Fu in the Southern Dynasties). Pomegranate flowers are red and colorful, symbolizing the beauty of women and the passionate pursuit and yearning for love. Pomegranate fruit "children have the same buds, and the golden house is separated by jade", which means "many children and many blessings" and symbolizes a happy marriage. Pomegranate flowers and pomegranates are used to describe lovers' love or lovesickness. In ancient times, an engaged girl wanted to embroider a pomegranate purse for her sweetheart as a symbol of love. When people in Chaoshan area get married, pomegranates are often placed in their new houses to show that they will always be United. In Lingbao County, Yang Guifei's hometown, at the wedding ceremony left over from 1000 years' history, the couple should put on the "pomegranate lotus" insole sewn by the bride, which means "nostalgia and love". Noble lotus and flaming pomegranate represent the yearning for sincere love. Newlyweds often put two pomegranate trees together, which are called "husband and wife tree" and "acacia tree", in order to take the meaning of "planting jade in the orchid field, and always knot together". In Yicheng, Shandong Province, there is a saying that "pomegranate cannot be transplanted and planted, and pomegranate cannot be thinned for a long time", which means that husband and wife cannot be separated. In the border area between Yongjia, Zhejiang and qingtian county, whenever trees are planted in the courtyard or at the gate, there has always been a custom of "planting golden poppy (pomegranate) on the left and willow on the right", which means golden boy (pomegranate) and jade girl (willow) are happy from now on.

In the northern region, the ripe season of pomegranate coincides with Mid-Autumn Festival and New Year's Day. Pomegranate is also the best gift for friends and relatives, wishing each other family reunion, happiness and auspiciousness, representing the pure feelings and friendship between friends and relatives.

4. Symbol of warding off evil spirits and getting rich

Pomegranate blooms in May of the lunar calendar, which is a seasonal flower. The legendary pomegranate flower god is Zhong Kui. At this time, the plague prevailed. The ancients thought that the plague was brought by evil spirits, so they invited Zhong Kui, a ghost, to guard it. Zhong Kui, a folk painting, often has a brilliant red pomegranate flower in his ear. "Pomegranate is as red as fire and as red as cinnabar." Cinnabar exorcises evil spirits, so there is a folk saying that "Liu Hua is an epidemic and kills five poisons".

Hanging calamus and mugwort before the Dragon Boat Festival is a custom in urban and rural areas in the north and south. Pomegranate flowers can be hung before the Dragon Boat Festival in parts of Jiangxi and Anhui. It is considered that pomegranate flowers bloom in May, which is one of the "five ends in the sky" to "exorcise ghosts and sterilize". In ancient Shandong, during the Dragon Boat Festival, girls should bring pomegranate flowers, or dye their nails with pomegranate petals and alum, which can ward off evil spirits and beautify themselves. There is also a folk legend that "pomegranate hangs the door to avoid Huang Chao": During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao led a rebellion and the world was in chaos. During the Dragon Boat Festival, a woman was busy in Lu Yu. Huang Chao was carrying an older child on her back and holding a smaller one in her hand. Huang Chao was surprised and asked why. The woman didn't know Huang Chao, and said, "Huang Chao killed his uncle's family, which is the only life-saving straw left. In case he can't take care of both, he has to sacrifice his own flesh and blood to save his uncle's flesh and blood. " Huang Chao was deeply moved and told the woman that as long as pomegranate flowers were hung on the door, the disaster in Huang Chao could be avoided.

"Red flower (pomegranate flower) is the emperor, and red flower can ward off evil spirits" is a common saying in Chaoshan area. In Chaoshan folk customs, pomegranate is regarded as a thing to ward off evil spirits and is widely used in life customs. In ancient times, when the bride got into a sedan chair, she would splash red water on it. It is still a custom to splash red water on the sedan chair now. The child was frightened and sprayed safflower water on his head and limbs to drive away evil spirits. Birthday gifts, offerings and wedding gifts are always accompanied by red flowers and grass, which means ward off evil spirits and get lucky. Take red flowers and grass with you when traveling, which means peace and good luck. If you encounter unlucky things, such as visiting the sick and mourning, wash your face with water soaked in safflower and grass before entering the house to drive away bad luck. On the first month of the lunar calendar, the leader of the parade is a respected elder. With a bucket of water in one hand and pomegranate branches in the other, he dipped in water while walking, which not only cleared the way but also heralded good luck in all directions.